Mr. O'NeillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 13 May,Official Report, column 156, what estimates he has made of the ability of Iraq, Libya and Iran to present a direct threat to the United Kingdom by the end of the decade.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonIt is unlikely that Iraq, Libya and Iran will have the capability to pose a direct military threat to the United Kingdom by the year 2000. Increased proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems is, however, a growing concern for the security and stability of the Mediterranean and Gulf regions. The United Kingdom supports international efforts to constrain the spread of these weapons.